Activity 9

• Point-of-care testing (POCT)


  Near-patient testing, designed to reduce health care costs while enhancing patient care
• POCT process

  1. Collection of a sample

  2. Immediate testing on an instrument at the patient's side
• Purpose of POCT

  To reduce the turnaround time for test results
• POCT instruments

  • Portable
  • Internally calibrated
  • Easy-to-use
  • Self-contained devices
  • Operated with minimal training
• POCT instrument design


  To make the performance of the test less dependent on the technical skill of the operator
• Booth, Wallace, & Fitzgerald, 2009: 'POCT instruments are designed to make the performance of the test less dependent on the technical skill of the operator'
• what are poct machines

  glucometer, hemoglobinometer, infectious mononucleosis, strep a, and hcg urine pregnancy tests are common waived tests
• bleeding time


  The time it takes a standardized skin wound to stop bleeding.
• bleeding time


  Measures the ability of the platelets to stop bleeding after an injury
• bleeding time


  The device used to perform a bleeding time produces a standard incision 5 mm long and 1 mm deep when placed firmly on the patient’s forearm
• peripheral blood smear


  The “wedge” method is the most common technique for making blood smears.
• steps in wedge blood smear

  1. apply a drop of blood to the slide about 1/2 inch from the frosted end
  2. hold the spreader slide at a 30 or 35 degrees angle. pull the spreader slide toward the frosted end until it touches the drop of blood
  3. when the drop covers most of the spreader slide edge, push the spreader slide back towards the unfrosted end of the smear side.
  4. lift the spreader slide away from the smear slide, maintaining a 30 to 35 degrees angle. the smear should be thicker on the frosted end of the slide
• criteria for blood smears

  • Glass slides must be clean and free of chipped edges
  • The drop of blood should be about 2mm in diameter
  • The smear should be made immediately after placing the blood on the slide
  • The spreader slide should be at a 30 to 35-degree angle
  • The pushing motion should be smooth and fluid
  • The smear should be allowed to air dry
  • The smear should cover at 2/3 to 3/4 of the length of the slide (~1 ½ inches)
  • The smear should have a “rainbow” feathered edge
  • The smear should not touch any edge of the slide